A cross-section of members of the Judaism Fellowship Initiative (JFI).
By Chimezie Anaso
The Judaism Fellowship Initiative (JFI), an umbrella organisation of all the Jewish synagogue in Nigeria, has accused Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), of feeding gullible minds with the wrong doctrine of Judaism.
Chief Arthur-Regis Odidika, President of the Nigeria Judaism Community, said this at the 10th anniversary of JFI in Ihiala, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra, on Sunday.
Odidika said Kanu had become a threat to the true Judaism religion because he had embarked on mass evangelisation and conversion which was not part of the Jewish movement more so with erroneous teaching.
He said Judaism in Nigeria, which was growing organically, had experienced the influx of a large number of followers of Mazi Kanu who knew little or nothing about the religion.
He regretted that the IPOB leader had decided to adopt Judaism, a religion of peace for his separatist agenda and called on the Federal Government to save the movement by supporting whatever measures to purge it of aliens.
“One of the things that bordering Judaism in Nigeria, especially JFI, the umbrella organisation of Jewish community in Nigeria, is Nnamdi Kanu declaring Judaism as his religion, using IPOB radio to preach and evangelise.
“This is against the practice. The Jews don’t evangelise, the Jews don’t look for converts but by the activities of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, thousands are trooping into our synagogues with the wrong information.
“These people see Judaism as a militant religion, war religion but Judaism is a religion that teaches love and peace which is why our greeting in Judaism is SHALOM, meaning peace.
“With the influx of IPOB members into Judaism, we now have a problem of making them good convert and also making them know that the problem of insecurity did not start with President Mohammadu Buhari though it has escalated.
“Kanu’s IPOB is making people believe that attacks are targeted at the Southern part of Nigeria but the question is who are those responsible for the banditry in Katsina State, Buhari’s home state, and other parts of the North?
“We need the government in containing this influx to Judaism, we need them to give us the capacity to help us make a good convert of these people, “ he said.
Odidika said the 10th anniversary of the JFI was earlier scheduled to hold in Rivers State but was moved to Anambra because IPOB had concluded plans to attack them during the event.
“The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, called me on Thursday and alerted me of a planned attack by IPOB on JFI in Port Harcourt during the celebration of our 10th anniversary, originally scheduled to hold in Elapronwa Obio Akpor LGA of Rivers State.
“I was advised not to hold the event in Rivers State due to security threats from IPOB,” he said.
